Rias sat with a straight back ramrod and trained her turquoise eyes on the figure sitting on the couch placed perpendicular to her desk. Adamas Phenex, the progenitor of the Phenex clan, the Eternal Sword Saint and Sword God of this world was loudly sipping the tea Akeno had served him. Koneko fled from the room as soon as she escorted him to us and his declaration of wanting to train her threw all of us for a loop. What did he mean by that? What was his agenda here?
The room was silent except for the occasional hums that Adamas let out. He really seemed to be enjoying the tea.
Akeno stood a few feet away from Adamas. Her body had relaxed when she realized that the newcomer did not intend to destroy her and her King in an instant. Oh, she had no doubt that he could crush them and walk away without breaking a sweat. The fame of the Knight of Lucifer has spread far and wide, so much so that there was a separate entry about him in the records of the Himejima clan. The mere mention of him in those records was surprising, but she could see why after listening to Rias rave about him after the engagement debacle.
Her eyes flicked to the side and she noticed Rias change her sitting position, placing her chin atop her clasped hands, eyes boring into the Phenex. Akeno too wondered what the Phenex had meant by training her King, but she could feel that he had no ill intentions towards them. Call it a womans' intuition, but he seemed genuine.
A clack resounded as the Phenex placed the empty cup on the table between them. This was his second cup of tea and he had emptied this one too. She made a mental note to stock up on this brand.
"Thanks for the tea. It was delicious", his voice was not the deep baritone that commanded the attention and awe of so many major devils. It lacked that gravitas, but his eyes held the same weight. The same deep-sea blue that threatened to swallow her whole. A curious dichotomy.
"Please think nothing of it, Lord Phenex", Akeno smiled a little bowed, a perfect example of etiquette and perfectly accentuating her perfect figure. "It is our pleasure to host you here".
He waved his hand in dismissal, seemingly not noticing her. "None of that 'Lord Phenex' stuff. Just call me Adam or Adamas. Whichever you find easy". He slouched back a bit on the sofa, truly a picture of a relaxed man. "If I had wanted all the pomp and glamour, I would have taken on my form that you are familiar with".
"Then why are you here?", Rias cut in, her voice a bit pointed. Adamas did not seem to mind. Indeed, his lips curled up a bit, seemingly pleased with the casualness displayed here. Strange for an all-powerful Demon.
"Tell me Rias", he shifted to place his head on his arm, angling his body to face the Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess. "Do you remember what I told you during that farce of an engagement?". A small smile was comfortably nestled on his face.
Rias did not need another prompt as "You have potential" escaped her mouth, lining her words with gratitude, joy and frustration. It seemed like her dear friend could not put that incident behind and kept looping it in her head. Understandable, as the man- no- boy sitting on the couch resolved the greatest crisis of her life with a single sentence.
"And I stand by that. You have potential Rias", his eyes burned with a fervor Rias had never seen. "You may not realize it, but truly are a rare entity. I have toured the world for years, but haven't come across a person filled to the brim with untapped potential like you." He truly believed that she, Rias Gremory, fit only to be known as Lucifer's sister, has got the potential to be something more that she is. Something great…
Instantly, Rias felt her heart pick up pace. She could feel Hope thrum through her veins and a fire lit up in her chest.
Something must have reflected in her eyes, for Adamas Phenex smiled, got up from the couch and closed the distance between them. He simply extended his arm out and Rias gazed at it for a moment before clasping his proffered arm. She sent him a blinding smile which left the Phenex progenitor in quite a daze.
He quickly removed his arm and let out a cough. Rias pretended that the Phenex progenitor was not left stunned. She had that effect on people. "Ahem! I'm glad that you accepted my request" Akeno scoffed at that and hid a grin at the Phenex's glare "I am best equipped to guide you on how to use the Power of Destruction, since I was quite close to Baal. I got to see firsthand how he utilized his power".
Rias felt her eyes widen in amazement. "You know Zekram Bael?" The old Bael was the head of the most powerful house in the Underworld. The Gremory's might be near close to the top due to the ascendance of her brother, but the Bael's had been the rulers of the Underworld till the Civil War broke out. They were and still are at the top, just behind the now extinct Lucifer clan.
Adamas cocked his brow in confusion. "Zekram? That kid? Why would I care about his Power of Destruction when I bear the marks of the ravages caused by Baal himself?" His tone was truly peculiar; confused and a smidge arrogant.
Akeno, who had been content in watching this play by, let out a gasp of shock. Rias was not feeling any better. Baal… Not Zekram Bael, but Baal himself. Her ancestor and the strongest Demon beside the Original Lucifer and Adamas Phenex was a legendary figure in his own right. If Adams was the right hand of the Lucifer, Baal was the left. Baal ran the Underworld when Lucifer was away and the ancient Demon is credited to have organized the Underworld into the 72 Noble Houses. He divided the Underworld among the Demons back then and established a core tenet of the Underworld: Anyone can get a better slice of the pie, be it honor, riches, power or sensual pleasures by proving themselves on the battlefield. The King would of course be Lucifer, but anyone could reach a position close to the King regardless of them being a Demon or a devil.
How could she forget? She was talking to Adamas Phenex. Such a being has taken an interest in her and she is determined to grasp this opportunity with both hands.